Bok choy is one of the most popular Chinese greens in Japan. A member of As well as Napa cabbage, it is crispy, has a slight sweetness and does not break up while cooking.
It is a versatile vegetable that goes well with Western dishes as well as Asian dishes.
WHAT IS BOK CHOY?
Bok choy, also often called pak choi or pok choi, is as popular as Napa cabbage known as a member of the Chinese cabbage family.
So, this popular Asian leafy green is the cruciferous vegetable that belongs to the mustard family along with such as cabbage, turnips, broccoli, and kale.
Green leaves are tender, earthy, grassy, and peppery, like mustard greens, while the white bulbous stems are charming crunchy, and light gentle sweet flavor.
Bok choy is also a popular vegetable in Japan which is often used for stir fry dishes, stew dishes, and GOMAAE easy side dishes.
Bok Choy Health Benefits
Bok choy is rich in vitamins A, C , and K.
Vitamin A supports immune function and plays a critical role to involve maintaining a healthy heart, lungs, eyes, and other organs.
Vitamin C is an essential nutrient to support the repair of tissue, and the formation of collagen while boosting immune function.
Vitamin K helps to make various proteins for blood clotting and the building of bones.
It’s also known as a good source of potassium and calcium.
HOW TO BUY BOK CHOY
What should you focus on to find the best bok choy?
Choose one that has vivid green color, fresh leaf vein, and stems that are round and fresh with a firm touch.
How To Store Bok Choy
As I introduce these posts: how to store leafy greens and how to store Napa cabbage,
You can use the same storing technique for bok choy.
How To Store Bok Choy Fresh Longer In The Fridge
Equipment
- 1 large bowl
- large paper
- plastic bags
Materials
- Bok Choy
- water
Instructions
- Cut the brown color bottom off if needed. Cut off only the surface. Be sure most of the leaves are attached to the stem.
- In a large bowl, soak bok choy in water until the green parts will be refreshed.
- Drain water lightly.
- Place paper such as newspaper, wrapping paper, or kitchen paper towels, and wrap it. Put it in a plastic bag and tie the bag.
- (Optionally,) divide the bok choy into green parts and stem parts if it is too big or the green parts are damaged. With a salad spinner, remove excess water from green parts as possible as you can. Dry them on kitchen paper on a baking pan if desired. Put them in a food storage bag, remove the air gently, and seal it tightly.
- Store the bag upright in a fridge. It'll last for 2 weeks if it's in the good comdition.
Video
Notes
How to Cut Bok Choy To Introduce Delicious Dishes
As I introduce in this Napa cabbage guide, it’s better to cook green parts and stems separately.
White bulbous stems can be the most charming point of this Chinese cabbage, you don’t want to make it mushy when you making stir-fry dishes.
Actually, the bok choy stem is tough to be mushy or floppy even if it is cooked longer, so it is often used for stewed dishes in Japan.
Especially, the stem While both the stems and the leaves are edible (and quite tasty), you’ll want to separate them before cooking.
The leaves cook much faster than the stems, so they should be added later.
The leaves can stay intact, but the stalks are usually cut into ½-inch pieces.
HOW TO COOK BOK CHOY
The most common cooking ways of Bok choy are stir-fry dishes that you can see as typical Chinese take-out.
As I said, Bok choy is much more than stir-frying, we add it to soup or make easy vegetable side dishes such as GMA-AE salad in Japan.
I really like grilling bok choy stems. – trimmed leaves since it’s easy to be burnt, just season the crunchy stems cut into quarter stalks with salt, and pepper, (maybe this truffle seasoning), and drizzle lots of Korean/ Japanese roasted sesame oil.
HOW TO COOK BOK CHOY STEMS
Grilled BOK CHOY STEMS With Sesame Oil
Ingredients
- 2 bok choy, washed
- Roasted Sesame oil
- salt & pepper to taste
- truffle seasoning *optionally (1)
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to medium and lightly oil the grate.
- Cut off the green parts. You can make Japanese-style stir-fry bok choy greens.*The recipe is on the same post.
- Halve the stems of bok choy, and repeat the half of stems (Make the stems into quarters) in half lengthwise.
- Clean thoroughly, especially, the bottom of the stem.
- Season the stems with salt & pepper, and your choice of extra seasonings. Drizzle enough sesame oil to spread entire stems while flipping over them. Preferably, spread the seasonings and the oil with hands or a brush.
- Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until grill marks begin to form.
- Flip over, and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the stems are slightly charred.
Video
Notes
HOW TO COOK BOK CHOY GREENS
Japanese-Style BOK CHOY GREENS Stir Fry With Sesame Oil
Ingredients
- 2 heads bok choy greens, washed, removed excess moisture
- 2 tbsp roasted sesame oil
- 2 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- ½ TSP Chinese chicken soup powder/ dashi powder/ Chicken soup powder
- 1 TSP sugar
- 1 clove garlic, smashed/ halved
- hot chili pepper
Instructions
- Chop roughly bok choy greens. Since they'll be shrunk and to avoid them getting watery, chop them in the large size. (not too small.)
- In a large skillet/ frying pan, place garlic, hot chili pepper, and roasted sesame oil.
- Heat a skillet/ frying pan over medium heat. Cook garlic until fragrant.
- Add greens to the pan. Saute until you can flip the top and bottom greens in the pan over medium-high or high heat, about for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the soup powder and soy sauce, and saute for another 3-4 miniutes.
- There'll be much juice coming out from the greens. Shake the pan to cook most of the juice down over high heat. If your stove is an electric cooktop, Move the greens to the edge of the pan, and collect the juice to the center of the pan.
- Add sesame seeds and stir them well. Turn off the stove.